Not Leaving You
by TotalCitron
Summary: Kate is leaving NCIS but no one knows why, Tony ventures to find out but finds some terrible turns in Kate's life, only now he needs to help guide her through it before he runs out of time. K/T
1. Chapter 1

**This is a little TATE fic – for now it's just a one shot, all you really **_**need **_**to know is that 'I' is Kate. Sorry if it's a little OOC but the idea came to me and they needed to be to make it really work.**

**Disclaimer: What would you know – I don't own it. (One day though…)**

Not leaving you

I had come in early today – Gibbs had said it would be a good idea; it would give me more time to pack up my stuff. I sensed a feeling that he wanted me out of there, but maybe I was getting a little bit paranoid – that could be excused though because it was my last day at NCIS.

Tony came in just moments after I had packed up the contents of my drawers into numerous shopping bags, "Morning Katie – what are you up to?"

Tony didn't know I was leaving NCIS yet, I didn't know how he'd react, maybe he'd be over the moon, or maybe he'd be sad. I would hope, though, that it would be the second. I'm not trying to be mean but it is nice to be thought about and that was how I was feeling now, "Just packing up."

He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow like a puppy, "Going somewhere?"

It was hard to know what was going to happen, I let out a deep sigh, preparing myself to tell him when Gibbs spoke, "Kate's leaving, Dinozzo. She needs to pack her stuff up and then she'll be gone by the end of today."

You could see the look on Tony's face from when he thought Gibbs was joking, to absolute shock, "What? You're just going to leave NCIS – like that?"

I felt guilty for not telling him but good that he was giving some emotion that wasn't pure joy, "Sorry, just a career change – this is too full on."

The anger building up inside him was perfectly clear, "Too full on?" he repeated my words, "You're good at this job. Sure, it is full on but you can cope – better than any of us."

Well, that coming from Tony was a shock, but I needed this. I couldn't carry on risking my life, it sounded selfish but I couldn't anymore, something had changed.

"Leave her alone, Tony. You've got work to do," Gibbs warned.

Tony hung his head and went to sit down like a child that had just been told off, he whispered – partly to himself but mostly out loud, "I don't want you to leave."

I don't think Tony realised how loud he said it but I heard and although I pretended I hadn't Tony had just exposed another side to himself that I had never seen before. The hard part was I would love to get to know that side but it was the last day.

Abby met me in her lab; it was just like usual – blaring music, little lighting and smells of strange chemicals that I couldn't define.

"Hey Kate, I still can't believe this is your last day," Abby greeted.

"I know, it's strange – something so familiar is just going to be taken out of my life," I replied, taking in the atmosphere.

"Have you told Tony yet?"

"Duh! I work with him – I kinda have to."

"Oh, well I was speaking to him," I cut Abby off in the midst of her sentence.

"Who would have guessed – you spoke to him."

"Okay, what's with the sarcasm, you're giving the Tony treatment to me," Abby exclaimed – defending herself.

"Sorry, it's just Tony's been acting a bit weird."

"That's exactly my point. He came to me and was all depressed, is it to do with you leaving?" Abby asked me.

I shrugged, I didn't know exactly but I knew I had to talk to him, "Bye Abs."

I skipped off towards the elevator and came out in the bullpen.

"Tony, I have to talk to you."

"Me too," Tony replied, to my surprise.

I led him outside where we could talk in private. Tony started the conversation, "Kate, I need to tell you that…well, if I don't tell you now I'll never tell you because you are a huge part of me and I've learnt so much since you've been here - I just can't imagine… Kate I need to tell you," getting into the habit of cutting people off I interrupted Tony.

"Tony, I'm leaving NCIS – not you," I said, looking deep into his eyes now.

A wide smile spread across his face, "Really?" I could see him get a bit caught up in my statement before he came back to what he was saying – he looked deadly serious and slightly nervous, "Kate, I need to tell you that I love you."

A breath got caught at the back of my throat; I had temporarily forgotten how to breathe, "Really?"

I could see Tony fumbling, he wanted to backtrack on his words but I couldn't let him. I took his hand, "Tony, it's okay," and I pulled him into a kiss, "I'm not leaving you."


	2. Chapter 2

Kate stared tracked the rain drops that flooded down her window – she had been doing this for at least 3 hours now, but time had lost it's relevance to her now. She had come home thinking about Tony that evening, the way she had left it. Was what she had done right? She knew that she didn't want to leave, but she didn't really have a choice. What would you do if when you were only a 16-year-old girl your parents had died, and then 9 years later two people contact you and claim that you are their daughter? It sounded superficial but when more and more things were revealed to her, Kate was torn between a work she loved with a man she loved or true parents that she could never have. Ones that wouldn't push her into a religion or fight or leave their daughter with the next door neighbor and never return. It was the hardest decision she ever had to make (and she worked in the secret service!) but Kate chose to find her parents, despite what it meant she had to let go.

A small tear rolled down from the corner of Kate's eye, mimicking the raindrops, the salty tear met her lip where it hovered before Kate swept it away with the tip of her finger. _No need to cry, it's my choice. I want this. I'm going to have parents, just what you've always wanted. _Kate reasoned with herself before picking herself up out of the chair that was starting to rub on her backbone. Only, Kate didn't know whether that is what she really wanted. She had always figured it would be, it is every adopted child's dream but now that it had come to reality – the choice was too much and lot more things had come into her life that she needed to factor in, like…

Interrupting Kate's pattern of thought came a quiet knock. She trudged over, not really in the mood. Kate swung the door open, "Tony?"

…_Like Tony._ "Hey, Kate."

"What? What are you doing here?" Kate stuttered nervously as she fingered the wobbly doorknob.

"Sorry if it's not a great time," he observed the mascara lines running down her cheeks and the 'not-so-Kate' joggers she had on, they said 'unhappy-tired-Kate'.

"Umm, it's fine," Kate bit her lip to hold back the tears that were about to pour out and the sobs. Tony registered her hesitation and the fact that she was shaking, he engulfed her small figure in a warm hug and whispered into her ear, "Don't worry Kate," he sighed, "You can tell me, and whatever it is I will support you and comfort you."

Kate shed a couple of tears before burying her head into Tony's shoulder and letting out small cries, "Come in." She managed to let out.

Tony closed the door behind him and with Kate still clinging on he guided them to the couch, "So, are you going to tell me?"

Kate pulled back from Tony and rested on the soft cushioning of the sofa – Tony ran his fingers down her chin and lifted her face up to look at him, "Kate, you mean so much to me."

Another small tear ran down her cheek, Kate placed a finger on Tony's lips, "It's complicated. Family matters."

He gave her a weak smile; he wanted to know so badly. She had to stay but if it were important then what would he do, "Kate, please."

She gulped, ridding the after taste of crying and the huge lump of sadness that stuck in her throat, "I was adopted."

Tony stared into her glistening eyes, he had never expected that, the strong-willed, smart, gorgeous agent Kate Todd to be adopted, "I had no idea."

"I figured as much. Gibbs just thinks I need space. From work and stress, truth is I'm pretty much heading into it."

Kate almost laughed at what she now realised Tony must have been hearing for the first time. She continued: "My biological parents contacted me. At first I wasn't sure but now…they look like me, they now about me, they, well, are my parents."

Tony sighed, how could she walk away from that.

"I didn't always know I was adopted, in-fact, until my parents contacted me, I had no idea."

Her eyes seemed lost in another world, reflecting on her life and expecting the future. Tony gazed in wonderment at her, "How are your adoptive parents going to react?"

Kate scoffed, "You mean the ones that died or left when I was 16. Yeah, I'm sure they'd be thrilled."

Seeing the small water droplets beginning to form in Kate's eyes again, Tony wrapped his arms around her, "You don't have to do it. If the stress of it is too much, you don't know them Kate – you don't know what you're heading into."

Kate jumped back, "So! I don't know what I'm heading into every day. Whether it's what meal I'm having or who died. Tony, how could I back track now. I'm supposed to be leaving tomorrow."

She pulled away and took her fleece from the seat and headed over to the suitcases, "Kate? I don't want you to go."

"Tony," Kate turned back to him, placing her hand on his shoulder, "It's only for a couple of weeks, we see how it goes and then I'll come back."

Now it was Tony's turn to argue, he pushed away Kate's hand, "But you won't! These are you're parents, they are going to want you to stay. How could they let their 'long-lost-daughter' return to her dangerous job in the city when they could have you there?"

"That's an excellent question. Maybe I don't want to come back," Kate turned away from Tony, "You can go."

Tony sighed; he didn't want it to end like this, especially like this. He came up behind Kate and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Kate. Your parents left you – both pairs. Now I don't know whether it's a family thing but don't leave me. You know how much it hurts to feel abandoned by someone you love – don't leave."

Kate twisted in his arms so their faces were only inches apart, "You love me?"

Tony hesitated, "More than anything or anyone in the world, you're the one for me Kate!"

The simple smile Kate gave was more than enough to tell Tony that she was staying, but it was hardly the end. When you have parents that you have never met before waiting for you across the state then is it ever finished with a shot of Tony and Kate happily in each other's arms in a warm ambiance as the lucid rain falls in a steady beat of 'pitter-patter' on the window pane? Not at all.

_So, there's chapter 2. Thank you '_Searching4sanity_' __for your inspiration for me to carry on! More chapters on their way._


	3. Chapter 3

"Dinozzo! Get up and start doing some work," Gibbs boomed through the office.

Tony's eyes peeled back to reveal tired-bloodshot eyes; he let out a loud groan and fumbled around his desk in search for a pen. His commotion brought him to the attention of McGee, "Whoa, what happened to you? You look totally hammered."

Another long groan and fuss came from Tony's direction before a low croak, "Just talking late."

McGee let out a snort, "What – to Death itself?"

Tony pulled himself up from his chair and walked to face McGee, "No, to Kate."

And although Tony was weary and weaker he still scared the hell out of McGee who snapped shut.

"Okay you two, this isn't like a school so stop taking it out on each other," Gibbs intervened, "It's just the after effects of Kate leaving – now you two, get on with the reports."

This time they both groaned in unison, and Tony shifted himself across the bullpen to sit back at his desk.

Several minutes had passed and by this time Gibbs was down at Abby's lab, McGee had finished his work and Tony was fast asleep, drooling on his papers, McGee didn't notice, "What did she say?"

Tony perked up and his eye flashed open, he sharply turned to face McGee, "Who?"

"Kate," he said, "What did she say?"

"Oh," Tony sighed, "Look, it's complicated McGee…"

McGee cut him off midway, "No, tell me. Don't give me 'it's complicated' talk, save it."

There was a long stretch of silence before Tony brought his head back up, "Okay McGee. What Kate told me took her a lot of courage and I wouldn't want to crush her by telling you or anyone. Just, Kate isn't who you think she is, she is more complex, more fragile and don't tell her I said this as she loves to be respected as who she portrays but, Kate's a real sweet gal."

"Sweet gal? The Kate who hunts down murderers for a living and carries a gun?" McGee replied sarcastically.

Tony nodded, "It's all too true."

_Yeah sorry, not a great chapter but please review all the same – it is very much appreciated. I'll try to put up a better more 'Kate' chapter next. I'm okay with any advice or whatever to aid any possible writer's block – thanks allxxxx!_


	4. Chapter 4  Single White Rose

**A.N: Now I apologize for character death but it is still 100% TATE and I really put thought into this so please enjoy and review. This is the last chapter.**

It had come to Gibbs' attention that Tony was getting even less work done than usual and was literally 'sleeping on the job' and decided the best thing for him, and for all of them, would be to send him home. At the good news Tony, not hurriedly but at a pace, got up, collected his things, and drove home. McGee had offered to drive him back saying that he was in no state to do so but Tony declined his offer as well as Gibbs' and Abby's.

Although Tony was tired and his car was constantly swerving in and out of lanes he managed to make it safely back, not to his house, but to Kate's house. The gravel crunched beneath his tyres as Tony pulled in slowly trying his hardest to keep what wits he had left about him.

He made his way to the door and proceeded to give a steady knock and a deep, croaky call, "Kate? It's me."

Only minutes later an also tired Kate came to the door, "Dinozzo."

Tony shot a weak but stunning smile, before inviting himself in and pulling out a chair to sit on. Kate sat by him but on the couch, "So, why are you here?"

"Last night when we were talking, I heard you packing," Tony sighed, "I don't want you to leave, you said you wouldn't."

Kate looked down at her hands before darting up again, "How do you know what packing sounds like?"

He nodded, "I've done my fair share of packing and plus, the suitcases in your hall kind of confirmed my suspicions."

Kate glanced over at the innocent suitcase and sighed, "Like I said before, these are my parents."

"And like I said before, you managed 28 years without them, and you don't know them."

"But Tony…"

He cut her off, "No Kate, you said you were staying."

Kate jumped up from her seat, "I don't want to get technical here but I never said such a thing, I just implied it and I've already resigned from NCIS, I have to go Tony."

Tony stared deep into Kate's eyes, he could see the anger and lost hope and forgiveness swirling in an array of amber and forest green and sea blue. He saw her fixed in a position declaring her ambitions her hair falling messily around her red with anger face, her arms flailing in a fluster, and yet all he could think of was how beautiful she was but how he had never told her until the other day, the day when it was too late. His eyes longed but he broke into a small, weak, unforgiving laugh that haunted her, "If I don't mean that much to you then go, maybe your ignorance outshines true love."

His words were so simple and yet stabbed her with guilt and hurt causing her to collapse into hysterical tears on Tony's lap, "I don't want this, they do. They want me to stay with them; they want me to be the daughter they could never love. But I want you, I want you to be the perfect true love I never had," her hands clasped Tony's shirt her lungs fighting for air between sobs.

Tony ruffled Kate's hair that flopped over his broad shoulder, he suddenly felt the cold as Kate's salty tears seeped through his shirt, "I know you Caitlin Todd, I love you."

_And Kate loved Tony back, but that night she didn't leave him, she stayed forever in his arms as she suffered from a stroke. Kate was never adopted although her parents died when she was young, she didn't want Tony to worry about her having cancer so when she died of a stroke due to internal bleeding Tony was truly shaken. He knew her, he loved her, and he never left her._

12 years later

_In memory of Caitlin Todd,_

_An example of true human courage and a fighter until the end_

_She will always be admired and loved_

_May she Rest in Peace._

_Tony pulled his fingers from his glove, the icy cold winter air hit him immediately shivers running down his spine. He brought his hand to the frosty gravestone before him, "I know you, I love you, I will never leave you." Tony reached into his coat and pulled out a simple white rose and placed it near to where her head would be, his innocent smile spreading across his face as he remembered her, the beautiful Caitlin Todd._


End file.
